Mormonism is not unique. They are all false. Faith is belief in ideas that are not reasonable. There is no reason to have faith. Believe in things that have evidence, period. In other words, just know things that are true and avoid the are false. If you find something that you thought was true has no been proven to be false, just change your mind to the new evidence. It's that simple.

The problem is most people lack the emotional skills that would allow them to reevaluate their beliefs based solely on the evidence. They would rather cling to the dogma they were taught as children because they are comfortable with it.

For the masses religions are gap fillers:

If I don't understand the precipitation cycle of water, I can say God makes it rain and pretend to have understanding.

If I don't comprehend chance and probability, then I have to blame God for my car getting smashed. I'll say He was testing me.

The less comprehension you have of natural laws, the more you need the god of the gaps.

Yes they are...

Ron Burr

You are correct. Accept those things that can be proven by evidence, reject everything else.

I prefer to say it that all religions are imaginary.
A lot of them do inspire people to be good, while a lot inspire otherwise.
Get real, be good, enjoy!

I was taught that everyone who doesn't get saved according to our rules is going to hell. It was true. But no, it's false.

So, you believe the ends justifies the means (lies)?

Funny thing is, the morg, as bad as it is, has inspired people to be good.

the morg, as bad as it is, has inspired people to be good.

Let me fix that for you:

the morg, as bad as it is, has intimidated people into being good.

The morg gets people paying 10% of their wages to a hate organization that continually teaches hate against women and gays.

The Morg gets people to think doing bad thins is good.

Yes, but reality sucks so they provide a useful escape.

Religion is a primitive cognitive system that has persisted since the earliest days of humankind, and probably even prior to that.

Natural phenomena were mysterious to the earliest ape-men, so they invented stories about invisible entities to "explain" what they could not.

The fact that there are STILL people who believe in this crap millions of years later is a never-ending source of concern.

That's the same thing people say about harmful drugs

I agree, they're all imaginary. No gods, no heaven, no hell. Better enjoy life and do all the good you can. It's your one shot at it!

Yes. Faith in all things is NOT unreasonable. Faith in many of the things organized religion puts forth is. But there are a few who have "faith" (and some who do not have faith) in things that most of you would find very logical, and reasonable.

I always love how people are so vague about the good in religion.

So, what does religion put forward where blind faith would be a good thing?

It depends on how you define faith. Faith in all things?? That makes no sense! The faith I don't use is the one defined as; "Pretending to know things you don't know," or "Having certainty in things unseen." I guess I have faith if it's defined more narrowly, meaning something like trust or confidence. I have faith the sun will rise the next day, for instance. Not total, absolute faith though. There's always a tiny chance earth might explode or something.

Certainty is only theoretical. I prefer to apply varying degrees of confidence in things rather than believing anything with certainty. If you believe something with absolutely no doubt, you will be stuck. You'll never listen to any other opinion or be open to changing your mind if new info comes to light.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2014 09:44AM by rationalist01.

I believe there is more to religion than just explanation to things one can't understand or means of control over the masses.

Religion comforts people. Not many people can deal with the fact they will die one day. Or the idea of a horrible person being successful and enjoying life at its best without ever receiving punishment while a good fella (most put themselves as the good fella) dies alone after a suffered and frustrating life.

Religion also frames society. Even with all its inconsistencies and problems, people are influenced by religion to try to be good, have families, do charity, have morals, etc. I'm not saying one cannot do these things without religion, just that a lot fewer people tend to without it. It organizes our society somehow. Even people who were never Christian (I am an example) tend to have Christian-influenced culture and values in the western world.

And there's also the faith. Faith is a powerful thing, even when is put in absurdities, like it mostly is. Because it's not about whether the object of faith is true or not, but about the faith itself. It motivates and strengthens people.

I think religion is one of the most interesting and complex aspects of humanity. It's a shame it creates an opportunity to powerful and smart men to deceive people in order to benefit themselves.

You are giving religion way too much credit for the goods and bads of society. Religion doesn't dictate how people behave naturally; at best it is a reflection of society and how people would want to behave. At worst, it exploits and divides humans into doing things they wouldn't naturally do. Thinking that people need religion "to be good" is piggybacking on existing nature to allow some people to control others.

"Not many people can deal with the fact they will die one day" Are you kidding? Your think religion comforts people in this regard? The people I know that are most afraid of death are all religious. What are they afraid of? JUDGMENT DAY.

Yeah, that's comforting.

It doesn't require religion to teach a child right from wrong and how to behave in society and how they should treat people.

+1000
That's exactly how I'm approaching life, and parenthood.

Ah, the obligatory twice-a-week "all religions are false" post. Who gives a $hit? Does it make you feel like less an idiot for falling for Mormonism? If it makes you feel better, go for it, I guess.

Bring me some hard statistics on the Fall of the Morg, and I'm excited. This stuff? Yawn. Well-worn territory here on the board.

The title of the post was so obvious, you coulda shoulda woulda skipped over it if you didn't want to read it, except you are toolazy.

to try to dictate how I live and who I should love.

Seems to me you are free to live however you want... unless the nation where you live is a theocracy... or you just can't face standing up to people. Not a problem for me, but hey, everyone's got their own circumstances.

Virtually all the arguments against gay marriage are religios based in some way.

Seems to me you are out of touch with reality because I can not live the way I want.

And you really should read and comprehend what I actually wrote before you respond.

What I actually said.

"I care because I am sick of people using false religious crap
to try to dictate how I live and who I should love."

See that "try to dictate"? Do you know what the word "try" means in this context?

I was not bitching about not being able to live the way I want, which is true in many places in the USA, I was was bitching about people using their religious beliefs to even ATTEMPT to dictate how I live.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2014 11:49AM by MJ.

Try Coming here, to New Hampshire ...

Just Over 1 Million People, in a State that Swings with The Wind ...

Anyone Willing to Put a Few Tens of Thousands of People, or a Few Tens of Billions of Dollars, into our Political System, can Suborn ANY Outcome, they Desire!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2014 06:39PM by zaphodbeeblebrox.

No thanks, I like it where I live and I am not a Mormon, I don't get chased from state to state.

Then, you're The ONLY One ...

In this Era of Scott Brown, Border-Hopping Seems to be The Name of The Game ...

Then Again, our Sole Presidential Offering was So BAD, he Makes Current Politicians Look Great, from BOTH Major Parties!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2014 07:03PM by zaphodbeeblebrox.

Rest assured that I am not the only gay person that likes living in Utah. BTW, it is Utah gay activists that may make history by making gay marriage legal in all the remaining states.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2014 07:10PM by MJ.

But people will have their hobbies

I have Long Observed, The Nature of a Prayer, is Directly Related to its Likelihood of Being Answered ...

Pray for a Hurricane to Miss you, and you'll Probably Still be Flooded out ...

Praying for The Strength to Endure, What The Universe Dishes out However, Will Come True, Provided that you Want it, Badly Enough!

The Problem with Religion Arises, When People Hedge their Prayers, Such as Asking for People to Live, Unless it is Against G-d's Will ...

Which can Turn a Seemingly Failed Prayer, into an Answered One, INSTEAD!

Hence, The Inherent Irony, of What is Often Dubbed, The Serenity Prayer ...

Give me The Strength to Change What can be Changed, The Endurance to Accept What can't, and Above All, The WISDOM, to Know The Difference!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2014 06:33PM by zaphodbeeblebrox.

Others provide advantages to their followers and demand a lot less. They provide social outlets, babysiting, educational opportunities, etc. They do actual charity and give back to the community instead of trying to dominate it.

Many religions are more about humanitarianism than indoctrination and submission.

Any Suggestions, on Any in New Hampshire ...

My Girlfriend and I, are Looking for Something we can Participate in, Together?

Here's The Catch ...

She Wants Something at Least Fairly Strict, Whereas I Want Something that has at Least a Somewhat Legitimate, Belief Structure ...

So, Tall Order, you BETCHA!

Edited to Add ...

Plus, Something that won't Interfere, with The Fact that Regardless of Actual Faith, our Kids will be at Least, Half-Jewish?



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2014 06:48PM by zaphodbeeblebrox.

I would like to see the books to see how much really goes to humanitarian efforts and charity, etc.

Religions that are changing toward a humanitarian form and away from a doctrinaire form are fine with me. The trouble is we still have fundamentalist Christians, radical Muslims and Mormons. These guys will only be dragged reluctantly and late from their harmful ideas. Meanwhile, they subvert and pollute the minds of thousands of children. This is the pure evil activity that they do. Children are vulnerable and receptive. Instead of teaching them social responsibility and empathy, they brainwash them with a bunch of mythology. This is the main source of evil in our world. Is there any conflict in the world that isn't at least marginally religiously inspired? Religion is Evil.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/27/2014 06:48PM by rationalist01.